The four-time IndyCar champion and three-time Indy 500 winner (pictured) has had a rocky start to his season, but nobody’s going to count him out. He secured a much-needed positive moment yesterday by taking the pole on his final lap of qualifying, but now he has to convert it into a solid result that can start his long climb back up the standings. There’s still time for him to play a role in the championship, but his margin for error is slim at best.

Where’s “Winning Will”?

As competitive as Will Power has remained, it still bears noting that he hasn’t won in the IZOD IndyCar Series since his victory last season in Sao Paulo, Brazil. That’s a stretch of 13 races and considering how tough the overall field is in the series, he’ll have to find a way to get back to Victory Lane soon in order to put himself back into the title hunt (he sits eighth in points). Luckily for Power, he’s the defending champion at the Beach and starts third this afternoon.

Conway rides again

Mike Conway, who stopped his full-time IndyCar career prior to last year’s season finale due to being uncomfortable racing on ovals, has returned to the series this weekend and has been fast in a third Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing car. He was second-quickest in Friday’s combined practice sessions and then cracked the Firestone Fast Six on Saturday, winding up fifth on the grid. The Englishman is a prior winner at Long Beach (2011, Andretti Autosport) and he’ll want to prove that he’s still got what it takes to win in North America’s top open-wheel series.

Turns 1 and 9

These are the two main passing zones on the legendary street circuit. Starts and restarts will be especially exciting as the drivers mimic an Oklahoma land rush down Shoreline Drive before going into the left-hand Turn 1. But T1 is also well-known as a trouble spot — just ask Josef Newgarden, whose attempt to pass Franchitti there on the opening lap of last year’s race ended in the tire barriers. Turn 9 is a righty that emerges after another long straight on the course and begins a tricky sector of corners that culminates with the famous Turn 11 hairpin.